Automatic firearm



Jan. 31, 1939.

F. wALTHl-:R

AUTOMAT IC FIREARM Filed May 29, 1937 Fig. 4.

Fzg. 7.

Patented Jan. 31, 1939 UNITED STATES AUTOMATIC FIREARM Fritz Walther, Zella-Mehlis, Germany Application May 29, 1937, Serial No. 145,614

In Germany April 9, 1936 4 Claims.

In self-loading rearms, especially pistols, the elements, such as striker, striker-spring, signal bolt, extractor and the like situated in the breech were mounted in the breech from the outer side and the apertures provided for the inserting covered only more or less Well. Consequently these elements were partly exposed and subjected to soiling not only by the powder gases escaping towards the rear, although in little measure, and also to access of dirt from the outside. In this known form of construction, especially in selfloading rearms with locking breech, the weight of the breech and therefore of the whole firearm had to remain comparatively heavy. The extractor mounted in pistols of known type, mostly in the front end of the breech, was either resilient in itself or oscillatable about a transverse bolt and was, in the latter instance, controlled by a spring. According to the invention the weight of the breech is reduced and the milling cuts and bores necessary heretofore can be easily made and with comparatively large tolerance, as the eiect of the lock elements is no longer dependent on the absolute accuracy of the cuts and bores and as it is no longer influenced as before by slight deviations from the accurate dimensions of these cuts and bores. By the invention the result is further attained that the said elements to be accommodated in the breech are not exposed to getting dirty and can be inserted in the breech in the simplest manner.

According to the invention a comparatively wide slot is made in the breech through which elements such as striker, signal bolt, extractor and others can be inserted, and this slot is covered by an accordingly constructed cover plate, so that the elements arranged in the interior of the breech can be inserted and are accessible from the outer side.

The cover plate may be preferably constructed like an extractor. The cover plate or the cover plate forming the extractor is resilient and has projections of which the front one, situated near the claw, bears against a shoulder in the breech, a. middle hook-shaped projection engaging under a nose in the recess of the breech, and the rear projection at the end engaging in a lateral recess of the sighting-notch.

Other characteristic features of the invention will be seen from the following description and claims.

Two embodiments of the invention applied to a self-loading pistol are shown by way of example in the drawing, Figs. 1 to 4 relating to one of the embodiments and Figures 5 to 8 to the other.

Fig. 1 shows part of a self-loading pistol, partly in elevation and in section.

Fig. 2 is a section on line II-II o1 Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a section on line III-III of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a section on line IV-IV oi Fig. 1. 5

Fig. 5 shows the second form of construction partly in elevation and partly in section.

Fig. 6 is a section on line VI-VI of Fig. 5.

Fig. '7 is a section on line VII- -VII of Fig. 5.

Fig. 8 shows in bottom plan view the extractor 10 shown in Fig. 5 in the form of a cover plate.

The breech 2 is slidably guided in well known manner on the frame I of the self-loading firearm. The breech 2 has in its upper side a comparatively wide slot 3 through which for instance l5 the striker 4 with the striker spring 5, the signal bolt 6 and the sighting notch 1, and, as shown in the Figures l to 4, the extractor 8 can be inserted from above into the breech.

A plate 9 of the Width of the slot serves in this o form of construction for covering the slot, the front end of said plate having a projection I 0 designed to bear against a shoulder I I in the breech.

A hook-shaped projection I2 on the middle portion of the plate has an arm I2a extending in 25 the longitudinal direction and engaging under a nose I3 in the breech. A projection I4 on the rear end of plate 9 terminates in a tongue I5 engaging in a corresponding recess in the sighting notch 1. Plate 9 may preferably be resilient. It is inserted from above into the recess at 3 of breech 2, depressed and pushed towards the rear. The tongue I5 then engages in the sighting-notch 1 and the projections I0 and I2a come to bear against the corresponding shoulders II and I3 of the breech 2. To secure the sighting-notch 1 against shifting in lateral direction, there are two shoulders IB which fit into the slot 3 of the breech, whereas the sighting-notch is secured against shifting in vertical direction, that is upwards, by the tongue I5 engaging in the corresponding recess. The signal bolt 6 is under the action of a spring I1 bearing against plate 9.

In the form of construction shown in Figs. 5 45 to 8 the cover plate 9a is constructed as an extractor. Its shape corresponds to that oi the cover plate 9 in the first form of construction, with the exception that on the front end the extractor claw I8 is arranged.

As the plate 9 or the extractor 9a covers the slot in the breech 2 and as the space for holding the elements mentioned and other elements whichare inserted in the breech is closed from below by the wall 20, neither powder gases nor u in which elements are inserted in a part corresponding to the breech.

I claim:-

1. An automatic re arm comprising a frame and a breech block mounted to slide on the frame and including a bottom and a pair oi' side walls defining a chamber for the reception oi.' certain parts open at its upper side and forming a slot substantially the full length of the breech block, and a detachable cover plate adapted to be inserted in and close the slot and secured to and slidable with said breech block.

2. An automatic re arm comprising a frame and a breech block mounted to slide on the frame and including a front end wall, a bottom, and a. pair of side walls, dening together a chamber for the reception of certain parts open at its upper side and forming a slot, a detachable elastic cover plate adapted to be inserted in the slot deiined by the side walls, a notched back sight at the rear end of the slot. a lug projecting from the lower face oi' the cover plate near its front end and arranged to engage behind the end wall of the breech block, a hook also projecting from the lower face of the cover plate, a notched transverse member in the chamber of the breech block arranged to be engaged by the hook, and a tongue dening a pair of shoulders at the rear end of the cover plate and arranged to be inserted in the notch of the back sight, the end wall and the back sight being so pitched with respect to the lug and the shoulders on the cover plate that the parts engage under the elastic reaction of the cover plate.

3. An automatic fire arm comprising a frame and a breech block mounted to slide on the frame and including a front end wall, a bottom, and a pair of side walls, defining together a chamber for the reception of certain parts, a-detachable elastic cover plate adapted to be inserted in a slot'I defined by the side walls, a notched back sight at the rear end of the slot, a pair o1' lugs on the sight for engaging the sides of the slot, a lug projecting from the lower face of the cover plate near its front end and arranged to engage behind the end wall of the breech block, a hook also projecting from the lower face of the cover plate, a notched transverse member in the chamber of the breech block arranged to be engaged by the hook. and a tongue dening a pair of shoulders at the rear end of the cover plate and arranged to be inserted in the notch ofthe back sight, the end Wall and the back sight being so pitched with respect to the lug and the shoulders on the cover plate that the parts engage under the elastic reaction of the cover plate.

4. An automatic tire arm comprising a frame and a breech block mounted to slide on the frame and including a bottom and a pair of side walls defining a chamber for the reception of certain parts open at its upper side and forming a slot, a detachable cover plate adapted to be inserted in the slot defined by the side walls, and a cartridge extractor on the cover plate.

FRITZ WALTHER. 

